During a bilateral meeting held alongside the NATO summit in Turkey, President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Multiple videos have circulated recently, alleging that President Donald Trump fell asleep during significant events, including purported footage from Cabinet meetings and international peace agreement signings. A recent viral clip specifically claims to capture Trump dozing off during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2026. This raises the question: does the video actually show Trump asleep?
Claim: Trump dozed off during bilateral meeting with Turkish President Erdogan
On July 7, 2026, President Trump convened with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey.
Following this meeting, numerous social media posts emerged, asserting that video footage from the event depicted Trump falling asleep on camera. For instance, a widely shared post by journalist Don Lemon, referencing prior viral clips, stated, "Trump once again fell asleep while meeting with Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan." This post included a 65-second video from the bilateral meeting that gained rapid traction online.
The footage shows Trump, for the most part, with his hands clasped in his lap. He remains largely stationary, with his head slightly bowed and his eyes appearing closed or heavily lidded for several moments. While he blinks and makes minor head movements throughout the clip, he does not visibly speak or make any gestures. The question remains: is the claim that Trump was dozing off accurate?
Fact Check: False, the video does not show Trump dozing
While the video used in the viral claim is indeed authentic, it does not portray Donald Trump dozing off during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The clip that has been circulating online has been edited, omitting crucial context that explains Trump’s actions. In the complete video, Trump is seen repeatedly leaning to his right to hear an interpreter translating Erdogan’s remarks into English. Consequently, the viral posts misrepresent the actual content of the footage.
An examination of the White House livestream offers further clarification. Both leaders had interpreters positioned behind them throughout the meeting. When Trump spoke in English, the interpreter behind Erdogan translated his statements into Turkish. Similarly, whenever Erdogan spoke or a journalist posed a question in Turkish, Trump would lean to his right to receive the English translation.
The specific moment featured in the viral clip occurs around the 13-minute mark. Because Trump lowered his head and looked down while listening, some viewers may have misinterpreted this posture as dozing off. A review of the entire meeting reveals no evidence that Trump fell asleep. Throughout the event, he consistently leaned towards the interpreter whenever Turkish was being spoken. The full recording demonstrates his continued engagement in the discussion, rather than him being asleep.
The meeting took place during the 2026 NATO summit. Initially, Trump had voiced criticisms of some US allies, but he later stated that there was "a lot of love" among NATO members. The alliance leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to mutual defense. It is worth noting that this is not the first time social media users have claimed that Trump appeared to fall asleep during a public event; similar allegations have surfaced previously and have been subject to fact-checking. However, no credible reports or official accounts have concluded that Trump fell asleep during this particular meeting with Erdogan.